Helpful Score: 3
England 1815
Pretty good read. I like smart heroines, but Caroline is pretty much a genius. It was interesting to read about this in a historical setting. Ashworth did create the perfectly suited hero for her. I found myself rooting for them the entire book. Although the climax was somewhat predictable, the epilogue makes up for it as it came as an entire surprise (at least to me :)
Recommended read - but don't drop everything for it.
Pretty good read. I like smart heroines, but Caroline is pretty much a genius. It was interesting to read about this in a historical setting. Ashworth did create the perfectly suited hero for her. I found myself rooting for them the entire book. Although the climax was somewhat predictable, the epilogue makes up for it as it came as an entire surprise (at least to me :)
Recommended read - but don't drop everything for it.
Helpful Score: 3
I thoroughly enjoyed this book :) I like a book to make me laugh out loud and to cry!
Brent Ravensworth, Earl of Weymerth returns from war to find that his cousin has sold away his prize possessions and left his pockets empty. Parts of his possessions were purchased by an extremely wealthy man of the working class. The deal is that Brent must marry the business mans daughter, Caroline and he will get back his coveted possessions.
Caroline is a brilliant botanist. She has cross breed roses to produce the elusive lavender Rose. However, in a mans world she has not been welcome. Her dream is to work with the best of the best in the world of botany.
The Earl marries to retrieve his possessions Caroline marries believing that with a marriage of convenience, she can travel to work with the renowned botanists.
Both fight against falling in love with the other. Then Caroline takes the Earls deaf, bastard daughter into her heart and love becomes harder and harder to fight.
The best of Adele Ashworths books so far!
Brent Ravensworth, Earl of Weymerth returns from war to find that his cousin has sold away his prize possessions and left his pockets empty. Parts of his possessions were purchased by an extremely wealthy man of the working class. The deal is that Brent must marry the business mans daughter, Caroline and he will get back his coveted possessions.
Caroline is a brilliant botanist. She has cross breed roses to produce the elusive lavender Rose. However, in a mans world she has not been welcome. Her dream is to work with the best of the best in the world of botany.
The Earl marries to retrieve his possessions Caroline marries believing that with a marriage of convenience, she can travel to work with the renowned botanists.
Both fight against falling in love with the other. Then Caroline takes the Earls deaf, bastard daughter into her heart and love becomes harder and harder to fight.
The best of Adele Ashworths books so far!
Helpful Score: 1
Caroline Grayson had always wanted to study botany and was determined to see her dreams come true. But then her father arranged for her to marry. Marriage was not what she expected. Her new husband gave her the freedom she never expected, and the respect she deserved. Now Caroline had to make the choice between her lifelong dream and the man she loved.
Excellent story.
Excellent story.
Helpful Score: 1
Emjoyed this book immensely!
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. Caroline was so much NOT the typical heroine. The Earl was the perfect foil and the dance they go through to get to their ending was really fun.
I liked how bits of information came out and the unexpected reactions added to the story. The ending was a great touch.
I liked how bits of information came out and the unexpected reactions added to the story. The ending was a great touch.
Helpful Score: 1
Found this to be slightly unrealistic with the extreme independence and selfishness of the heroine but overall it was enjoyable and quick.
Excellent story
Excellent story of a woman following her dreams and rich fullbody theme.
Having read several other books by this author, My Darling Caroline was a real disappointment. I found the hero, Brent, to be unlikeable from the start. Sure he was supposed to be a man who just always says what he's thinking but I found him mean and untrustworthy. His initial reaction to the heroine, that she's ugly and old (because 26 is So Old -especially to a 34 year old) isn't the stuff romantic dreams are made of. And instead of him discovering her inner beauty or some other revelatory experience he simply wakes up the next day and thinks she's beautiful. His sudden turnabout - that she is beautiful and desirable - was unconvincing. It came out of nowhere and because he started out so mean-spirited he had a long way to go to redeem himself, which he never did (IMO).
The plot of this book is that these two people, forced to marry, both have a lot of secrets. These secrets are revealed to the characters as they are revealed to us, so the reader is just as blindsided by the news as the character. It is a unique ploy by the author and it does change how you read the book. But for this reader, the tactic didn't engage me further in the story, it just made me mad at the characters. Also major revelations about backstory and character were made by outsiders. A sister whom we haven't really gotten to know suddenly emerges with complete knowledge of everything Caroline has ever thought or felt. An uncle emerges who reveals everything Brent ever thought or felt. Instead of the two characters talking to each other, they are taking to strangers. It is weird and disengaging.
My final complaint out this book is that the hero, in 1815, keeps referring to the heroine as "sexy". A word which didn't come into use until the 20th century. I'm not a lexicographer or anything but you can tell when language just doesn't fit a certain period. It draws you out of the story and you start doing things like googling a when "sexy" came into use. I don't think that's what the author intended for me to do when she wrote that word in her book.
Overall, if this had been my first Adele Ashworth book, it would probably have been my last. It may still be the last, that's how little I enjoyed it.
Also this book says copyright 2010, but is actually a reissue of her book from 1998. Maybe it was her first book and could explain why it is so bad....
The plot of this book is that these two people, forced to marry, both have a lot of secrets. These secrets are revealed to the characters as they are revealed to us, so the reader is just as blindsided by the news as the character. It is a unique ploy by the author and it does change how you read the book. But for this reader, the tactic didn't engage me further in the story, it just made me mad at the characters. Also major revelations about backstory and character were made by outsiders. A sister whom we haven't really gotten to know suddenly emerges with complete knowledge of everything Caroline has ever thought or felt. An uncle emerges who reveals everything Brent ever thought or felt. Instead of the two characters talking to each other, they are taking to strangers. It is weird and disengaging.
My final complaint out this book is that the hero, in 1815, keeps referring to the heroine as "sexy". A word which didn't come into use until the 20th century. I'm not a lexicographer or anything but you can tell when language just doesn't fit a certain period. It draws you out of the story and you start doing things like googling a when "sexy" came into use. I don't think that's what the author intended for me to do when she wrote that word in her book.
Overall, if this had been my first Adele Ashworth book, it would probably have been my last. It may still be the last, that's how little I enjoyed it.
Also this book says copyright 2010, but is actually a reissue of her book from 1998. Maybe it was her first book and could explain why it is so bad....
Just read this trying to find new authors. Enjoyed it, and going to look for more of her books.
